La Posada in Winslow to Painted Desert AZ

Deborah and I drove directly through the night after the Landmark Advanced Course directly to Winslow. Here is how the gate facing old Route 66 to the south appeared when I awoke Monday morning.

Here is the original front door to the La Posada when most folks came from the Santa Fe passenger service from the south. This Mary Coulter architectural gem as been nicely restored and Paul a linguistics educator from Pittsburgh PA who was raised in the area and a young man from eastern PA whose dad and granddad have been in the railroading business shared stories with me prior to having my wonderful breakfast.

Ah the great food and coffee served in the Turquoise Room at the La Posada by the modern equivalent of the Harvey Girls. Wonderful ambiance and service. Remindful of the "good old days" of the Fred Harvey system and the Santa Fe of the early 20th Century.

Here is the garden by the west wing of La Posada that was a great oasis surrounded by hollyhocks.

While walking through the Turquoise Room I met George Welsh and his mom, Verna, here with her walker pictured with Deborah Aurianivar my friend who lives in Phoenix. Verna was one of the original Harvery Girls who moved from rural Kansas to work here in 1939. She met her husband here and stayed in Winslow. Grateful for the living history we continue to co-create.

Here I am living out the lyrics of the Eagles "Standing on a Corner in Winslow Arizona" with this attractive musician in bronze with the woman in the pickup watching. interesting this is now an important tourist attraction from the famous 70's music.

We then drove east to the south entrance of the Petrified Forest National Park. Here are some of the big tree fossils next to the visitors center. I learned that the Petrified forest is a sub part of the Painted Desert which covered a wide cresent in the desert here. My grandparents and their trips on the Santa Fe and visits to Phoenix planted the seeds for my curiosity.